SUMMARY
FARC was formed in Colombia in 1966, in the wake of the period known as “La Violencia” (the Era of Violence). It is most often referred to as FARC rather than the full abbreviation of its name, FARC-EP (Fuerzas armadas revolucionarias colombianas – Ejército del Pueblo, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army).
FARC has its origins in rural self-defence groups. During La Violencia, when the two dominant political parties in Colombia – Liberals and Conservatives – fought each other, non-state armed groups and self-defence groups were formed around the country. In 1958, the Liberals and Conservatives entered into a power-sharing agreement which excluded all other political actors. The government then launched an offensive against peasant self-defence groups, motivated as a campaign against a communist threat. Against this backdrop, peasant forces regrouped in southern Tolima department in west Colombia and formed FARC with the backing of the Communist Party. The first conference was held in 1965, but FARC was officially launched in 1966, after its second conference discussed military strategy and a political plan. The aim of the organisation was to bring down the regime, as well as to end “U.S. imperialism” and to achieve extensive socio-economic reform.
In the 1980s, FARC launched a political wing, UP (Unión Patriótica, Patriotic Union), but after doing well in the 1986 presidential elections its members were targeted by paramilitary forces and other right-wing elements, and virtually wiped out. Also in the 1980s, it started to broaden its support base to include urban students, intellectuals and workers, although the main support base remained among the rural population. After the fall of the Soviet Union, its ideological foundation became less pronounced, while at the same time it continued to expand its ranks and territorial operating area. Meanwhile, FARC increasingly financed its campaign through involvement in and taxation on the illegal drug trade, as well as kidnapping and extortion. In combination with acts of one-sided violence against civilians, this led to a loss of support among the civilian population.
Based on a Marxist-Leninist ideology, FARC early on gained the support of the Soviet Union, and continued to have strong ties to the Colombian Communist Party until the mid-1980s. Neighbouring Venezuela’s president Hugo Chávez, who served as a mediator between FARC and the government in 2007, has been accused of supporting FARC. In 2001 a video showing Venezuelan military personnel meeting with FARC fighters in Colombia was released, and in 2008 email correspondence was discovered that allegedly implied Venezuelan military and financial support for FARC.
Among the first commanders of FARC, most of whom were of peasant origin, was Manuel Marulanda Vélez (“Tirofijo”), who remained the leader of FARC until his death in 2008, when he was succeeded by Alfonso Cano (a.k.a. Guillermo Saenz Vargas). In 2008, FARC was estimated to have between 10 000 and 15 000 armed soldiers. These were organised into fronts, according to analysts characterised by a relatively strong hierarchy and discipline; the secretariat reportedly had a high degree of control over all fronts, with centralised income and direct communication with commanders via radio.
FARC has been involved in the intra-state, non-state and one-sided categories of UCDP organised violence.
